Road Bikes

For me, the process behind the Build-Off was equally as rewarding. It was a means of forcing myself to consider the bikepacking puzzle from a different perspective in order to see what’s possible, be creative, schwinn bike and negotiate budgetary obstacles. Believe me when I tell you that it’s very hard to stay under the $500 allowance and still create something that’s trustworthy, beautiful, and interesting. Aside from the pad, sleeping bag, and a reclaimed piece of Tyvek I used as a groundsheet, the only other component of the sleep system I carried was a borrowed DIY tarp. I’ll talk more about that in the Further Budget section below, but since the tarp didn’t come with stakes, I decided to make some using leftover flat aluminum bar that Virginia had purchased to make her rack strut.

However, that’s exactly the direction I wanted to push this project. In fact, I originally proposed the series concept to the team with schwinn bike name Concours de Rummage, taking inspiration from the sophisticated builders challenge called Concours de Machines. However, I realized that’s just my style and approach, and there are infinite interpretations to a capable low-cost touring kit. In the end, we all found different ways and motivations to tackle this challenge, and that made it even more interesting.

This turned into a fun little side project, and I ended up with four sturdy, lightweight stakes. I cut them with a hacksaw, then clamped each one in schwinn exercise bike a bench vise and hammered out a contour to prevent bending when pounded into the ground. To keep them organized, I used a rubber band made from a piece of discarded inner tube. It worked perfectly, squishing the sleeping bag down to a manageable size that fit neatly in my basket bag. The poly material seems durable enough for now, though I imagine it might start to show some wear and tear after a month or so of use. The week leading up to the disaster, I spotted a 22” 1988 Schwinn High Sierra on Marketplace, messaged the seller immediately and arranged to meet them that Thursday in Tennessee, just over the North Carolina border.

The wedge won out, and I was able to make it using repurposed Cordura perimeter fabric, straps, and a zipper from my old Kona Sutra frame bag I burned with an iron several years ago. Obviously, not everyone is going to have that as an option, but using an old backpack could provide the same base materials. I used the blue jeans—complete with the pocket being a non-driveside knife sheath—and some leftover X-Pac I had on hand for the side panels.

That said, I fully acknowledge the privilege of having access to tools needed to make all the components, a scrapped pack, leftover materials, and a sewing machine—not everyone has these resources at their disposal. However, I hope this kit and process inspire others to think creatively and resourcefully when assembling a bikepacking rig. Despite the fact that a solid 30 to 40 percent of the content we produce here on the website is about gear, much of it new, you truly don’t have to buy new things.